In honor of women’s month, I have decided to embark on a 12 week journey to getting in shape. Yes, I may not be overweight and yes, some of you might laugh at me and think that I am mad but I have a lot of work to do to truly feel comfortable in my own skin. If you would like to find out how I plan on motivating myself to change my lifestyle for the next 12 weeks, then keep reading… who knows, maybe I could inspire you as well?

I am sure you have all heard of Kayla Itsines and if you haven’t, I will be very surprised! She is one of the world’s most well known fitness influencers who had a dream and decided to help, inspire and motivate women all around the world into getting their dream bikini bodies. However, many girls that I know say “yea right, I could never do that” or “she looks great, it must not be real”. Well, today I have decided to give the 12 week Bikini Body workout a go and I thought what better way to hold myself accountable than by having all of you follow on this journey with me.

Since returning from America, life has been pretty stressful. I am working crazy hours, blogging full time, attending auditions and working on some VERY exciting projects. However, when I’m stressed, I eat and therefore put on weight. Not to mention that exercise has taken a back seat in my life as of late. This has been very disappointing and I have become very disillusioned with myself because my biggest stress reliever is exercise. I thrive when I work out. My body, mind and spirit are all in tune when I take the time to really nourish my body. So to put it frankly, I have been in a viscous cycle of feeling uninspired, eating to feel better and slacking when it comes to working out and that is why I have decided to make this change.

Some of you may ask me why I have decided to do this and talk about it on social media and the truth is, I feel that there are many girls out there who probably feel the same way I do. To be completely transparent, I am not comfortable in my own skin and never have been. Body image is something I have always struggled with. I have days (like many women) where I feel and look fantastic and then others where I can’t even stand looking at myself in the mirror-I’m not alone in this, right?

So in order to combat these feelings of stress, insecurity and unworthiness, I have decided to work on both my body, mind and spirit for the next 12 weeks. The reason for choosing the Kayla Itsines workout guide as a base is because many of us do not have access to a personal trainer, a dietitian or even a gym. I want to show women out there that you do not need all the gimmicks to get in shape, to start noticing changes in your body and to change your eating habits. All you need is a little guidance and a great mind set.

The beauty of these exercises is that you do not need a gym, weights or even a yoga mat. If you have those things, great but if you don’t, not to worry. Milk bottles work as weights ( I’m being serious, lol), lounge furniture works as equipment and cardio can take place outdoors. Gone are the dairy days and hello to Almond Breeze Almond Milk. Drinking lots of water is key to having beautiful skin as well as cutting out sugars and unnecessary carbohydrates, all of which I will be doing. Everything will be done on a budget- that means I will be following my own eating plan as the Kayla diet just seems too costly… I did say I was going to be transparent right?

Click here to get the recipe for my delicious homemade protein pancake- it will change how you eat breakfast!

Along with the Kayla work out, I will be doing high intensity training such as sprints, suicides, skipping etc ( my least favorite forms of exercise BUT they work). I love the outdoors so walks on the promenade are a must and hikes up table mountain are a definite! I will allow myself to have a glass of wine every now and again but otherwise alcohol is a no go. I have no doubt that this is going to be a serious challenge for me but I am so ready to give it my all.

As females get older, our bodies change and even though it sucks (to put it bluntly) it is the truth. I have chosen to not accept this truth but instead to do something about it and change the way my body works, looks and feels. I want a strong body, a body I can be proud of and a body that I can love. Gone are the days of disliking who I am because I feel uncomfortable in everything I wear, it is time to change. I am choosing a healthy, balanced lifestyle and for the next 12 weeks I am going to do just that.

For some reason I feel like there is a misconception that “things only happen to other people and not me” and I want to change the way that you see that. I want to show you that it can be you who changes your body, it doesn’t always have to happen to everyone else. I hope that by me taking on this challenge to see if I can really transform my body in 12 weeks, it will inspire you to say ” I can and I will”.

I am one hundred percent dedicated to this challenge and even though this is not easy for me, putting this out there like this, I am doing it and giving it my all. I am ready to start this new and exciting chapter in my life, one of BODY LOVE, a healthy mindset and a balanced diet. I am excited for all of you to follow along with me and to hopefully feel inspired to join in and do the same.

If you want to follow my journey, then follow me on Instagram @kendsbarrett or click here – I will be posting daily Instastories and motivations to keep us all motivated. I will also be doing a weekly blog update for the next 12 weeks. P.S I am completely obsessed with this Adidas wind breaker which I have had for years. If you like it, I am sure they have some similar but newer ones in stores.

Let’s believe in ourselves- our mind and our bodies are stronger than you think!